Open mesh fabric fan guard



July 26, 1966 J, v. MlLlTr-:LLO 3,262,638

OPEN MESH FABRIC FAN GUARD Filed Jan. 20, 1964 United States Patent O 3,262,638 OPEN MESH FABRIC FAN GUARD James V. Militello, Buffalo, N.Y., assgnor to American Allsafe Co., Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of New York i Filed Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,811

1 Ciaim. (Cl. 230-275) This invention relates to an open mesh stretchable fabric fan guard to envelop the rigid openwork metal cage surrounding the blades of an electric fan, the fan guard protecting against bodily contact with the revolving fan blades and stopping objects from being drawn into the Azone of action of the fan blades.

An important object of the present invention is to provide such a fabric mesh fan guard which adequately protects against bodily contact with the fan blades from the front, rear and peripheral portions thereof and also stops objects from entering the zone of action of the blades of the fan.

Another object is to provide such a fan guard which is made from open mesh stretchable fabric and tightly ts the rigid openwork metal cage for the fan.

Another object is to provide, such a fan guard which has slight interference with air movement.

Another object is to provide such an open mesh stretchable fabric fan guard which can be quickly and securely applied to the cage `of the fan, application merely requiring pulling on the free end of a double convolution draw string.

Another object is to provide such a draw string the convolutions of which hold themselves contracted by virtue of the friction between the convolutions thereof.

Another object is to provide such a fan guard which is low in cost, the body portions being made of a simple tube of woven fabric mesh.

Another object is to provide such a fan guard made from an open mesh stretchable fabric of high tensile strength which is easily laundered and is attractive in appearance and color.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of a table fan having the rigid Wire cage for its blades provided with an open mesh stretchable fabric fan guard embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken generally on line 2 2, FIG. l and showing the fan shaft vand fan blades removed.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the draw string for the woven fabric mesh fan guard before being tightened.

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged vertical section taken generally on line 4 4, FIG. 2.

The fan protected by the fan guard forming the subject of the present invention can be of4 various forms and is shown as having a base 4 pivotally supporting, -as indicated at 5, an electric m-otor housing 6 having the usual drive shaft 7 and fan blades 8 which for the purposes of clarity of illustration are shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. These fan blades 8 in a conventional table fan are enclosed in a metal cage 9 made of wire or the like and secured to the end head 10 ofthe electric motor 3,262,638 Patented July 26, 1966 c ICC 16 each of which 'comprises a pair of front arms 18 havingtheir inner ends secured to the small ring 15 and projecting radiallyl outwardly therefrom as best shown in FIG. 2; arching portions 19 each forming a continuation of the outer end of the corresponding radial arm 18 and secured to.each of the outer rings 14, 12 and 13; portions 20 forming continuations of the ends of the arching portions 19 and extending radially inwardly therefrom and a bridging portion 21 connecting the cornpanion inner ends of each pair of radially projecting por tions 20, this bridging portion 21 for each spoke member 16 being provided with an offset 22 through which the shank of the corresponding attaching screw 11 extends.

The open Vmesh stretchable fabric fan guard embodying the present invention is indicated generally at 25, and is made of a tube of open mesh stretchable fabric, preferably nylon, the strands 26 of which are woven in helical relation to one another to provide diamond shaped openings 28 throughout the body of the fan guard and terminating in diamond shaped loops 29 along its opposite annular edges. At the end of the tube rem-Ote from the motor housing 6, these diamond shaped loops 29 are drawn together and secured in Ia contracted condition, as by a ring or loop member 31 threaded through the openings 29 at this end of the guard.

The feature of the present invention resides in the means for drawing together the opposite annular edge of the open mesh stretchable fabric tube so as to cause its body to be drawn into rm engagement with the outer rings 12, 13 .and 14 and so as to bring this opposite annular edge close to the motor housing 6. This closure means comprises a draw string 35 having two convolu tions 35a and 35b threaded in side-by-side contacting relation jointly through the openings 29 forming the circular end edge of the open mesh stretchable fabric adjacent the motor housing 6. At one end onev convolution 35b is formed to provide a small loop 36 as by the provision of a knot 38 forming this loop. The free end 39 of the other convolution is drawn through this loop 36.

The application of the fan guard is very simple. The part of the fan guard 25 `formed into a small circle, as by the provision of the small ring 31 threading the corresponding end loops 29, is placed adjacent the small ring 15 of the cage of the fan and the body of the fan guard 25 is drawn over the large rings 14, 12 and 13 of the cage, the convolutions 35a and 35h of the draw string 35 being distended for this purpose. The operator then draws on the free end 39 of the draw string 35, this contracting the two convolutions 35a and 35b of the draw string so as to bring these convolutions into close embracing relation to the end head 10 of the motor casing 6 and so as to draw the center part of the body of the woven fabric mesh fan' guard 25 into stretched tightly embraced relation with the large rings 12, 13 and 14 -of the wire cage of the fan. It will particularly be noted that since the convolutions 35a and 35b are in side-by-side contacting relation to each other, they are frictionally engaged their entire extent and hold themselves contracted and hence hold the fan guard taut. This feature of the fan guard 25 holding itself taut following pulling on they draw string 35 is an important feature of the invention. The loose end 39 of the draw string 35 can then be tucked away in any suitable manner as by being wound around the upper part of the base 4 of the fan as shown in FIG. l.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the woven fabric mesh fan guard of the present invention can be applied to the rigid cage 9 of a table fan very quickly and by one having little mechanical skill. It will also be seen that upon merely tightening the draw string 35 the fan guard of the present invention holds itself taut and adequately protects the blades 8 of the fan from inicting bodily injury or from drawing objects into their zone of action.

A guard for an electric fan having a base, a motor housing supported by said base and a rigid fan cage including axially spaced outer rings and spoke members securing said rings together and to said motor housing, said fan guard comprising a tube of stretchable flexible open mesh fabric with its central part snugly embracing said outer rings of said fan cage, means holding the annular end edge of said tube remote from said motor housing in a contracted condition to form a radially extending circular wall at the side of said fan cage remote from said motor housing, two convolutions of a single length of string threaded successively through the openings of said open mesh fabric along the annular edge of said tube adjacent said motor housing, said convolutions being in side-by-side contacting relation with each other substantially their entire length, and a loop at the end of one of said convolutions and through which the free end of the other convolution extends to maintain both convolutions in such contacting relation with each other and in; close concentric relation to said motor housing and thereby form a radially extending circular wall at the motor side of said fan guard, the friction between said two convolutions of said string so held by said loop serving to prevent them from enlarging to relax their force holding the fan guard in position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,900 ll/1957 Matthews 230-275 LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primaly Examiner. 

